Plaything for cats



Feb; 6, 1951 H. L. wlN'soR PLAYTHING FOR CATS Filed May 6, 1949 INVENTOR. HAROLD L.. WkNSOR BY @Mn/wg MQW@ ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

' 2,540,309` PLAYTHING Fort oA'rs Harold L.` Winsor, East St. Louis', Illa Application May s, 1949,.seria1No. 91,813l

1l '-'This invention relates to' playthings for cats. The human interestV appears in a devicey which induces the cats to perform numerous.- antics quite amusing to the observers,.andatthesame time provide desirable exercisesfor thecats..

Briefly stated, the cat" is vattractedgtolr` a tubular object containing movable toyy elements likelyl to interest the cat.v This tubular` object may-:be

approximately in the form of a cylinder free?, to rolll upon la oorf and" large; enouglrto receivev the cat;

Asf an illustration ofone formaof the invention,

I willl specifically describe a-` transparent tubular tinct object is to provide anarticleiof this kind consisting of very simpledetailsgto be assembled by' the purchaser; The details may provide for varying diameters and lengths ofthe rolling toy'. With the foregoing and othe jects'linl view, theinvention extends to variation tions described'by theclaims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is a side view of an article conforming to the invention;`

Fig.12v is an end view-'of thefsame-.-

Fig.3 isanenlarged'detailsview showing onefof the yieldable toy'elements. Fig. 4" is adetaill view, drawnftofa reduced scale, showing a ilat sheet adapted toform part of a rotatable tube. 'l Fig'. 5 is a side view showingfhw'a plurality of the flat sheets may be united to produce a longer tube having a relativelyg large diameter;

Fig'. 6 is an end view of the'tubje shown in Fig. 5.

The general idea shown by'Eigui-es 1, 2,l 3-and 4 includes only one'of the sheetsidrawn to a reduced scalein Fig..4. However, desirable forms of the invention involve a pluralityv q the sheets toi provide' for selective variations.. diameter'of the rolling plaything..

A. special commercial value f-ppears intan arrangement of details' which enables the device to be sold in a very small package, consisting of one or more of the hatv sheets'4 together with sufli'cient string. and toy elements for convenient assembly by the purchaser. For sanitary.' cleansing, the at sheets, toy elements, and also-the strlngcan.be made of' waterproof' plastic material.

To set forth suitable details'jin one form o1' thev invention, Fig. 4.shows a at sheet of transparent plastic material 1 having perforations 8 in its end margins. This sheet is alsoprovided with a series of toy-receiving perforationsf located between `saidg., end margins. The pg rations 9 mayv be separated 4from' eachK4 otheig (Eig. 4) to provide for/,anchorage of toys at sepathe? length" and..l

s. and m'odiiicai of the 2 rated -points alongand around the peripheryof atubular roller, whichwillbepresently'described';

When said end margins of the sheet 'l are lapped to forma tube, as shown by Figures 1 and: 2, the perforations 8 at one end marginfwill regis-- terwith correspondingperforations atfthe other end margin. String" l!! may their bef lacedv through the registering perforations.- so' asi to" anchor. the lapped margins in thetubular forniati'o'n. Additional string sections Il may be inserted through the toy-receiving perforations- 9-1 and; loosely anchored at the periphery of said= tubular? formation, so as to provide a series of separated; yieldable toy objects within the'tube.y For oon-Y venient assembling by an unskilledpersomlshavf shown toy objects I2, each of which is perfforatedv atA I3 (Fig. 3) to receive va loop I4 of the stringv H. This loop is inserted through-theperforation i3, and the doubled string Il is then inserted`- through the loop. Thereafter, the free'end'fpor tions of the doubled string l I areinserted i'fhroughy a perforation 9,'and a simple knot I5 is-tied in' internal diameter of said tubular roller,` and the strings are anchored at separated pointsialong.y and around said periphery to confusingly scattgsrv the toy elements. It will also 'be observedthat the transparent roller is free to roll or oscillate on a iioor in response to the amusing antics of acattrying to grasp the deliberatelyk scattered'toy: elements.

A plurality of the flat sheets 1 (Fig. 4) may be: assembled end to end to form a rollerl havnga4 relatively large diameter. Forlexample, an end' margin of one of said flatsheetsI 1 may be an'- chored to an end margin of a companion sheet 1 to provide an elongated strip havingendmar gins wherein the perforations 8 at one end can register with corresponding perforations ilY at the opposite end of. the elongated, strip. The ends-of the elongated strip can' then be lapped andcozinected together by means ofi string l0 threaded through theirv perforationsy 8' to produce la roller Ahaving a relatively large diameter. In thisfevent.' theY length of the enlarged roller will beequal to the width of a sheet 1;

However, a plurality oi? the rollers may bet'elescoped with each other, suggestediin; Figuresk 5 and. 6 to produce an.elongated-.rol1er. 'Fire-.sider margins of e'achi atsheet 'l maybe providilarl" with perforations I 6' adapted' to' register witlif correspondingl perforations Iii of4 a' companion'. sheet when the rollersare'telescoped with' each' other. String I1 may be laced throughlthe'rev` gistering perforations i6 to unite the lapped ends telescoping rollers, asl showrrliguresi 3 l Figures 1 and 2, the several toy elements I2 may be attached to strings il at an initial stage of the procedure. The free ends of strings Ii can then be conveniently inserted through perfora-J tions S and provided with knots I while the sheet l is in an approximately hat condition. Thereafter, the end margins of said sheet are lapped and laced to each other through the registering perforations B to complete the article shown inFigures l and 2.

When a plurality of sheets 'l are employed to produce a relatively large roller, the toy elements i2 may be attached to all of the at sheets at an initial stage, before the several sheets are attached .to each other, and in forming an elongated roller, said margins of the companion at sheets 'i may be lapped and attached to each other by string il threaded through registering perforations it before the sheets areV bent to form the tube.

Numerous actual demonstrations of the invention have clearly'shown that it provides highly amusing entertainment for spectators who are constantly surprised by unexpected antics of a cat in its natural eiforts to grasp the yieldable toy elements.

While the several perforations 9 provide for the reception of numerous toy devices ||-l2, it isto be understood that any desired number of the toy elements may be used; and that the toy elementsm'ay be of any desired shape. Furthermore, when several toy elements are employed, the strings II may vary in length to locate the toy elements I2 at diiferent distances from the periphery of the tubular roller, as suggested'in Figures 2 and 6.

f In Figures 5 and 6 I have shown four of the sheets l unitd at their lapped margins to produce a relatively long roller having a relatively large diameter. In this illustration each of the four sheets" 'i has ve toy-receiving pcrforatiors 9,`making a total of twenty perforations. However, a` relatively small number of toy elements er'e attached through selected` periorations 9. "i Advantages are gained by employing the flat sheets l in connection with separate strings i0, Il and I'i to be used by the purchaser in assembling the plaything. However, the tubular roller may be formed in any suitable manner, and the yieldabie toy device may be formed as desired in any manner that will attract the cats and induce them to perform amusing antics in the rolling tube-while trying to grab or strike the yieldable toy'obiects.

'ILQIn a plaything for catsQa freely rotatable 4 free to roll on a floor in response to movements of a cat trying tograsp said toy elements.

`3. In a device to make' a rolling plaything for cats, a at sheet of transparent plastic material having perforated end margins adapted to be lapped'to forrn a transparent tube wherein the perforations atone end margin register with perforations at the other end margin, string to be Y inserted through the registering perforations so as to anchor the lapped margins to each other in the tubular formation, said sheet of transparent material also having a series of toy-receiving perforations between said end margins, additional string to be inserted through said toyreceiving perforations and anchored at the periphery of said tubular formation, to provide a series of separated loose strings within the tubular formation, andV toy objects adapted to be anchored at the innerends of said loose strings as playthings for the'paws of a cat inthe transparent' tube.' ,l f

4'. Ira device'to-rnake a'variable rolling plaything for cats, a plurality of fiat sheets of transparent plastic material, each having perforated end marigns adapted to be lapped to form a transparent tube wherein the perforations at one end margin register with perforations at the other end margin, each of said ilat sheets having a perforated side margin adapted to lap and register with perforations of its companion sheet, to Vprovide for elongation of the transparent tube,

- string to be inserted through the Various registranspafent tube adapted toreceive the cats,

stringseirtending inwardly from-the periphery of said transparent tube, and toy elements yieldably supportedat'the inner ends of said strings to attract the cats, said transparent tube being free to roll on a floor in response to movements of a cat trying to grasp said toy elements.

2. rIna plaything for cats, a transparent tubular roller open at both ends to provide a passageway for the cats, strings extending inwardly from the periphery of said transparent tubular roller; and toy elements yieldably supported by said strings to attract the cats, the distance from each of said toy elements to said'periphery being substantially less than the internal diameter of said transparent tubular roller, said strings being anchored at separated points alongv and around said periphery to confusingly scatter the toy ele: ments,;end;sa1d;tr aasnareatturnier;rellesabeins panion sheet,

tering perforations, so as to anchor the sev-eral lapped margins 4in theV elongated transparent tube, each of said sheets also having a series of toy-receiving perforations between its end margins, additional string to be inserted through said toyr'eceiving perforations to provide an elongated series of separated loose strings withinthe elongated tubeyand relatively large toy objects adapted -to receive'the inner' vends of said loose Strings;4 'Y

5. In a device to make a variable rolling play thing for cats, a'pluralitv of sheets of transparent plasticy material, each having perforated end margins adapted to be lapped to form a' transparent tube wherein the perforations at one end marginregister with perforations at the other end margin, so as to form a tube of relatively small diameter, another of said `sheets being ad'azted to lie between end margins of its coms and register' with periorations therein, to enlarge the diameter of the trans parent tube, so that any suitable string maybe inserted through the registering perforations to unite the sheets, each vof said sheets also having a vseries of toy-receiving perforationsbetweenits margins, additonal string to be inserted through said toy-receiving perforar-tions to provide a series of loose ystrings within'the tube, and toy objects adapted to receive the inner ends of said loose strings. HAROLD L. WINSORJ- fil e of this patent:

UNITEJ; STATES PATENTS Number Name Y Date Y Y,883,485 Ridgway Mar. 31, 1908 1,302,174 Kettlie as Apr. 29, 1919 ,1i-,441,095 Kahnweiler --L-- Jan. 2,19234 

